Encrusted metal design on ceramic substances and process of making same



Patented cc. l2, i922.

zenmonnson WARBIN, or UPPER tron'ronnrn, NE Jnnsnfrf .nnonusrnn nin'ren DESIGN on CERAMIC scnsrnncns Ann rnocnss or MAKING- meme.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Bev itknown that I, EDMQNDSON Wnnnm, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Upper Montclaidin the county'oi Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Encrusted Metal Design on Ceramic Substances and Process of Making Same, of Whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an encrusted metal design on ceramic substances and process of making same, andhas reference more ing exact duplicates regardless of the intricacy of the design. Another object of this invention is to prov de a process of decorating china, glass and other ceram c sub stances which is especially adapted for having a finishing coating of gold. on the design.

A still further object of this inyention is to provide a process in the class indicated in which a final coating of precious metals such as gold is underlaid with a coating of the base metals such as copper.

In carrying out my process the steps may be broadly classified as (1) covering the article to be etched with an acid resisting composition except here it is desired to have the design etched by the acid. (2) Etching the article in hydrofluoric acid. (3) Coating thedesign With a metallic paint composition. (4) Firing the metallicpa-int into the design. (5) Electroplating copper on said design, and (6) electroplating the de sign with gold.

The first Iew steps of my process are care p iefie s ed 11 3 1920. Serial No. 393,009.

ried out substantially as described in my aforementioned co-pending application in that the-china or glass article is first covered except Where the designpmonogram, crest, flag or other decorative motif is to be placed,

with a Waxed preparation composed of Stearin W&X 25 lbs. Cresine Wax 100 lbs.

Asphaltuin Bees Wax. and Stearin'.

The design is printedonthe tissue paper by the useof a hand rollenhand, power, or

lithographic press, and the printed paper is then applied to'theunwaxed part of the article which is beingmanu'factured- After the nrintedtissue paper is placed in proper position, it is moistened with a solution of six drops ol? creosote to one pint of Water and is gently removed, leaving the acid resisting print adhering totlie article being. inaniifactured. Imperfections and connections are then retoii ched by hand with a decoratofisbrush using some of same resist towhich a small quantity of turpentine is added to malre it workable. Thearticle is then placed in a solution of hydrofluoric acid contained in a le'ad lined tank of suitable size for a period of from ten to twenty ninutesvaccord'ing to the depth of etching de- V i brush to the article to be decorated. After I tors brush.

thoroughly dried it is ready for a coat of silver paint applied by hand with a decoracentrated sulphuric acid in seven. parts of a water. Strips of metallic Zinc are then placed in the'silver solution and allowed to stand untilj'all [the silver is precipitated out of thesolutionas a grey or brownish solid.

This silver is filtered, washed free of the acid as indicated by litmuspaper, dried'over a sand bathand is then ready for use. The silver chlorideisjobtained by dissolving metallic silveriin a solution of one part of nitric acid in one part of water, precipitating the I silver chloride with sodium chloride while the solution isheated on ahot water bath, filtering and washing the silver chloride. The paint ingredients are thinnedwith tun pentine, placed in a paint mill and ground until exceedingly fine, after which most of the surplus turpentine is removed. When using the silver paint the aforementioned ground ingredients-are mixed with fat oil or turpentine on a, palette with a palette knife until creamy consistency is obtained and the paint is then applied with a decorators the article has been painted it is dried inan ordinary heater and when dry is placed in a kilnbr muffle and the? heat is gradually increased until it reaches 900--l200 for glass and 1200-1500 Ff for china. YVhen the desired temperaturev is reachedand the silver paint brought to a point where it fuses with the article on which it has been placed,

the heater in thelriln or muffle is shut off and the article allowed to gradually cool until the temperature "inside the inufile has decreased to about'300 F. and the door i'sthen A current, of five f 'pened and additional time is allowed for the articleto become cool enough to handle. I

3 The fired, metallic paint is now scratch buffed andwa'shed' clean inwater". The article is then suspended from the negative wire in an electric cleaner consisting of i Water 11b. Potassium carbonate 3110s. Potassium cyanide 802.

to six volts and 180 ainperes is used for period of two orthree minutes. .The article is then washed thoroughly "and is suspended from the electrode in a copper-plating cell which contains Water i 1 gallon. Sulphuric acid 2oz. (dopper sulphateu rml lbsg i Acurrent of one or twovolts andthirty ain per-es is used for a period'of SlXOl seven 7 hours. which causes a :heavy coating of copper to be deposited on top of the fired silver 'paint. By suitable modification ofthe con-- ditions, any of the base metals may be used instead of copper. The article is then sand buffed to takeoff any rough surfaces and is tity ofammonia.

The copper is now polisheduntil'bright and the article isqdipped in the aforemen tioned electric'c'leaner for thesanie period of washed with water containing a small quantime and with the same conditions. Incoat} ing the copper with the layer of precious. me tals such as gold, the article is wiredand suspended from the negative electrode in an electrolytic cell containing the following composition: i

1 gallon,

vVater Chloride of gold tdwts; I Sodium. carbonateuu 2 oz".

The solution'is heatedto C.and a gold anode of 22 or'18 karat issuspended from the negative electrode.- Acurrent of three to eight amperes isused and the article iselectroplated until the desired amount of gold is deposited on the design. The article is washed and immersed in the aforementioned electric cleaner and again washed. Thegold is now polished slightly with rouge.

The purpose of electroplating the copper under theprecious metal is for the purpose of'economy in the use of the gold and if so desired, the step of electroplating with copper can be eliminated so that the final design is in pure gold at a corresponding increase n cost. By using suitable'materials in the final electroplating-bath, any desired precious metals such as platinum, silver, etc.

may be electroplated over ithe copper with very good results.

' I would state in conclusionthat while the example describedconstitutes a practical em bOCllHlBHl) of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the details herein described, since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined pended claims. H i

Having thus describedmy invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A process of decorating china, glass and in the apother ceramic articles with metallic substances which includes the printingwith acid resisting printing fluid, the design desired to be decorated uponthe artic1e, covering the portion of the article not desired to be decorated with an acid resisting compound paste, placing the article in a hydro-I fluoric acid solution, letting the acid eat into i the uncovered surface of the article a predetermined depth, filling the eaten portion with a silver solution, fusing the solution to the article, cleaning the fused silver for elec an acid resisting printing fluid, covering the portion of the article not included in the print With an acid resisting compound, drying the fluid and the compound placing the article in a solution of ceramic eating acid, filling the acid eaten portion with a compound of precipitated metallic silver, placing the article in a kiln until the silver compound fuses thereon, subjecting the article to an electric cleaning solution, electroplating a copper deposit on the fused compound, and electroplating a gold deposit on said copper EDMONDSON WARRIN.

deposit. 

